UPAYA AT THE MIND & LIFE SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE by Maia Duerr

BRIEF REPORT ON THE MIND AND LIFE SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Last week, Roshi Joan, Sensei Beate, and Upaya’s Chaplaincy Coordinator Maia Duerr attended the 6th annual Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (MLSRI) in Garrison, NY. Other Upaya sangha members including Al Kaszniak, Susan Bauer-Wu, Tony Back, and Charla Malamed were there as well, and a number of Upaya’s “Zen Brain” faculty presented papers (including Evan Thompson, Richie Davidson, John Dunne).

Roshi and Sensei led numerous meditation sessions throughout the week, and Roshi and Sharon Salzberg guided the nearly 200 attendees in a full day of contemplation mid-way through the week—an opportunity for neuroscientists, clinicians, and others to practice “phenomenology on the cushion.”

MLSRI’s roots come from the groundbreaking work of the late neuroscientist Francisco Varela and colleagues. One purpose of the institute is to catalyze Contemplative Neuroscience and Contemplative Clinical Science as new fields.

This year’s theme was “Scientific and Contemplative Perspectives on the Self.” Among the cutting-edge scientific research and philosophical explorations that were presented, some of the most compelling were:

Adam Anderson’s neuroscience research showing that mindfulness training appears to “de-couple” brain connectivity that leads to rigid conceptual thought/affective processes. In other words, instead of “sadness” becoming fixed in one’s mind as an idea or concept, it becomes a feeling in the moment (and more likely to pass quickly).

Health psychologist David Creswell’s research with HIV+ low-income gay men in Los Angeles, finding that mindfulness training helped them to significantly lower their stress levels as well stopped the decline of beneficial T-cells.

Psychologist Sherryl Goodman’s work to develop mindfulness-based interventions for pregnant women as a way to prevent perinatal depression and ultimately support healthy child development.

Collectively, the work presented by these scientists and clinicians provided evidence that our capacity to step back and view ourselves from a more experiential, nonjudgmental, and non-attached point of view has numerous physiological and psychological benefits. Numerous studies demonstrated how meditation and mindfulness can develop that capacity. Back to the cushion!

SELF-NO-SELF? NEUROPHENOMENOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS: EVAN THOMPSON

Mind-brain science has focused almost all its efforts on the "self-as-object" -- the self as content of consciousness in perception and thought -- rather than the subjective process of awareness itself. For the science of the mind to advance, we need to disentangle three aspects of consciousness: the subjective process of awareness, the contents of awareness, and the mechanisms by which we identify with the contents of awareness and thereby construct a sense of self. What I propose is that the sense of self arises from the way brain-body processes are organized so as to constitute a self-nonself distinction. This organization is plastic and transformable through contemplative practice.

SUZUKI-ROSHI ON REINCARNATION

Shinshu Roberts was looking at Suzuki Roshi transcripts and ran across this:

Student F: "Reincarnation. What do Buddhists believe?"

Suzuki-rōshi: "Yeah, that is-it has been Buddhist belief, and no one can deny it, you know. It is difficult to say it doesn't exist. It is very difficult to say. [To say,] "It does exist" is easy [laughs], but we cannot-if you want to deny something, it is very difficult, you know [laughs]. It is easy to say, "I am not enlightened." This is easy. But it is very difficult to say, "I have no easy [?] desires"-I have no such easy desire as you have. Can you [laughs] clearly declare in that way, you know?

Maybe, you know, your idea-the thought of reincarnation-someone may say it is-it is superstition. It is easy-it is not so easy to say that is superstition. You have to prove, you know, everything from every angle if you want to say that is-reincarnation does not exist. It is almost impossible to deny something, some idea which you have. So maybe we shouldn't [laughs]. It is better not [to].

And actually, some of you may say that is superstition. Some of you may say so, but he himself, you know, what exactly what he does, actually, is based on that kind of idea-idea of reincarnation. That is how he is-how human nature is going. I may die tomorrow, you know, but I-until I die, I think I will live tomorrow too. When I go to bed I think I am quite sure [laughs] that I can get up tomorrow at five o'clock. I am quite sure. But we cannot be so sure [laughs]. You see, we-I believe in my future life always. That is actually what we are doing. So it is more than belief, you know. [It is] actual life we have. Okay?"

INTERBEING: Precepts and Practices of an Applied and First Person Ecology: Part 3, by Roshi Joan Halifax and Marty Peale

It is important to understand the name of the Tiep Hien Order, because it speaks to the rationale and realization of an engaged Buddhism. The word Tiep means "to be in touch with" and "continuation." Hien means "realizing" and "making it here and now." According to Thich Nhat Hanh, "to be in touch with" means to be in touch with reality, the reality of the world and of the mind. "Continuation" means to extend and continue the way of enlightenment. "Hien" or realization, means not to be caught by dogma or doctrine. "Making it here and now" means that love, compassion and understanding must be real in our lives. "Making it here and now" means that only the present moment is real.

Thich Nhat Hanh has translated Tiep Hien as "Interbeing," a word based on a Chinese term in the Avatamsaka Sutra. For Westerners, then, the Order is called "The Order of Interbeing." Its name points to the the absence of a separate self identity and thus to the interconnectedness, interdependence, and interpenetration of all beings. It also means that we are embedded in reality and that reality is an ecology of mind and nature, neither separate from the other. This we can speak of a first person ecology.

The Charter of the Order states that "the aim of the Order is to actualize Buddhism by studying, experimenting with and applying Buddhism in modern life." There are four principles that guide the Order:

non-attachment to views, which Thich Nhat Hanh has called the most important teaching of Buddhism;

direct experimentation or direct realization, through practice that brings about insight;

appropriateness, reflecting the needs of the people and the realities of society and the world; and

skillful means, or ways in which people can practice that are appropriate to their particular circumstances.

The Charter says,

The spirit of non-attachment from views and the spirit of direct experimentation lead to open-mindedness and compassion, both in the realm of the perception of reality and in the realm of human relationships. The spirit of appropriateness and the spirit of skillful means lead to a capacity to be creative and to reconcile, both of which are necessary for the service of living beings.

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to say that the most important element to preserve in the Order is "the spirit," not the dogma or forms.

As we mentioned above, one of the very important spiritual ancestors of the Tiep Hien Order is Master Lieu Quan. His great dharma poem, spoken shortly before his death, is at the heart of the Tiep Hien Order and is the basis for the dharma names given by the teachers in the Order. The poem reads,

The great Way of Realityis the pure ocean of the true nature.The source of Mindhas penetrated everywhere.From the roots of virtuesprings the tradition of compassion.Vinaya, samadhi, and prajna-the nature and function of all three is one.The fruit of transcendent wisdomcan be realized by being wonderfully together.Maintain and transmit the wonderful principlein order to make known the true teaching!For the realization of true emptinessto be possiblewisdom and action have to arise together.

According to Lieu Quan (and the Buddha), wisdom and action have to arise together. Virtue gives rise to compassion. Buddhism is concerned with the fostering of wisdom and compassion through virtuous action. This perspective points directly to the Buddhist precepts and their importance as part of the path that leads to freedom from suffering. The precepts bring us to the Noble Eight-fold Path, and the gift of the Buddha's first teaching of the Four Noble Truths.

Engaged Buddhism in general, and certainly the Buddhism of Thich Nhat Hanh, emphasizes the Four Noble Truths. The essence of the understanding of the Buddha can be found in the Four Noble Truths (in Sanskrit, arya-satya), the teachings he gave in Benares after his enlightenment. These "Truths" point to:

the truth of the presence of suffering in conditioned existence (dukkha),

the truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya),

the truth that suffering can cease (nirodha), and

the path that leads one to the liberation from suffering (magga).

One of Thich Nhat Hanh's most famous poems was written in 1978, while helping Vietnamese "boat people." He composed "Please Call Me By My True Names" during a time of intense suffering. In this poem, he exemplifies the spirit of interbeing, making no moral distinction between human oppressor and the tormented, or creature or plant. Suffering is experienced by all. And we ourselves are not apart from the suffering of others. He says, "the rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive." The poem reads in part:

I am the twelve-year-old girl,refugee on a small boat,who throws herself into the oceanafter being raped by a sea pirate.And I am the pirate,my heart not yet capableof seeing and loving

Human suffering and the suffering of creatures and plants are not divided into greater or lesser categories. Victims of violence and hatred suffer. So also do the perpetrators of violence. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that we are not separate from any being who suffers. Compassion is the door that opens when we recognize that we are the mayfly and the bird that eats the mayfly; we are the frog and the snake that eats the frog. We are the sea pirate; and we are the young girl being raped by the sea pirate.

The Heart Sutra is a text that is also very important to Order members. The Four Noble Truths are in essence emptied in the teachings of the Heart Sutra in regard to the "Ultimate dimension." It is clear, however, that from the perspective of the "historical or relative dimension," the imperative is to eliminate suffering for ourselves as well as all beings. Thich Nhat Hanh, when he talks about "emptiness" refers to all things being empty of a separate self identity. Thus, they are full of everything. The suffering of one being, therefore, touches all beings.

The Heart Sutra has another gift for the practitioner-that is freedom from attachment to the aggregates and their objects, freedom from views and all the teachings of the Buddha. The first precept of the Tiep Hien Order's Fourteen Precepts states,

Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

When asked why this was the first precept, Thich Nhat Hanh observed that harming and killing usually arise because of dogma and views. Engaged Buddhism and non-attachment to view are very much a part of the Tiep Hien Order today.

Before we consider some of the ways that the Fourteen Precepts can begin to speak to environmental activists, let us look briefly at the dualism inherent in the language and concepts we use, and the behavior we exhibit, with regard to the natural world, and we separate ourselves from the first person perspective by objectifying the world we are.It is important to understand the name of the Tiep Hien Order, because it speaks to the rationale and realization of an engaged Buddhism. The word Tiep means "to be in touch with" and "continuation." Hien means "realizing" and "making it here and now." According to Thich Nhat Hanh, "to be in touch with" means to be in touch with reality, the reality of the world and of the mind. "Continuation" means to extend and continue the way of enlightenment. "Hien" or realization, means not to be caught by dogma or doctrine. "Making it here and now" means that love, compassion and understanding must be real in our lives. "Making it here and now" means that only the present moment is real.

REVIEW OF ROSHI'S BOOK: BEING WITH DYING

Strong and healthy, who thinks of sickness until it strikes like lightning? Preoccupied with the world, who thinks of death, until it arrives like thunder? - Milarepa

Sohrob Nabatian http://www.sevenpillarshouse.org/reviews/being_with_dying/ Though most would agree with Benjamin Franklin’s maxim that “In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes,” mainstream culture has little to offer on how to prepare for the former. Without a shared, collective story about the ultimate human transition, the dying and their caregivers are left to orient themselves as they enter bewildering worlds of medical protocol, emotional upheaval and rapidly shifting existential landscapes. All too often, the busy settings of the hospital or nursing home do not provide for the dimensions of grace that can accompany dying, adding a layer of surreal fragmentation to an already overwhelming experience.

In response to these inadequate conventions, Joan Halifax is one of several spiritual teachers and professional caregivers calling for providing a more coherent and compassionate experience of death. Her 2008 book Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death offers accessible, practical guidance through the inner terrain of dying that applies equally to professional caregivers, relatives or loved ones, the dying themselves, and anyone inclined to explore this ultimate and inevitable passage.

Being With Dying addresses, with insight and sensitivity, the inner challenges of dying, from the denial of death to the fear of it, the feelings of shame, anger and powerlessness that may arise, communication breakdowns, and the struggle to find meaning in suffering. The book helps one to follow the maxim of authentic witness: “Don’t say anything, just sit there.” While Being with Dying does hold “liberation” as the greatest potential in dying, it does not peddle a facile, homogenous or spiritualized view of a “good death,” nor does it flinch from the physical, emotional and spiritual messiness of dying. Meeting the existential rawness of dying head-on, Halifax gently offers stories, practices and wisdom that orient the reader toward the deepest potential and heart-rending grace of being with dying.

As a Zen priest, Halifax uses a Buddhist framework, describing how the “Three Tenets” of not-knowing, bearing witness and compassionate action open the way to a more authentic and present engagement with dying. The book’s content, however, comes from Halifax’s decades of experience learning from the dying as a caregiver and trainer of caregivers at her Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe. These stories and insights are both intimate and universal, and the meditations have been field-tested.

There are many excellent books on the medical, ethical and humanistic dimensions of dying, like Ira Byock’s Dying Well and Sherwin Nuland’s How We Die. Being with Dying is unique in offering an intimate map of the inner psychological and spiritual aspects of dying. For the dying, the stories and practices give space, permission and structure to explore one’s own sacred needs, feelings and hopes. For the caregiver, Halifax provides meditative practices that deepen presence and witness, countering the reflex to distract oneself from the depth of emotion in the room. For anyone, the meditations on death, particularly the last three, shatter unexamined delusions of immortality and invite the reader into a visceral, sober, but tender relationship with impermanence.

This is a really helpful and accessible book. If you or someone you know imminently faces death, its treasury of stories, wisdom and practices offers a more coherent vision of dying, and help to get there. Even if you do not yet meet the above description, studying of the art of dying is not just for the dying or their caregivers. Engaging honestly and experientially with dying awakens the attentive mind to a fuller appreciation of the terminal diagnosis Halifax reminds us we all share: life.

Being with Dying focuses on the inner experience of dying and caring for someone who is dying. http://www.upaya.org/index.phpShambhala Publications, 2008

ROSHI JOAN: NEWS AND LINKS

Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned. - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Roshi Joan is back at Upaya and going to the Refuge today for a time of deep retreat. She taught at Urban Zen in New York City a group of a hundred community caregivers dedicated to working in end-of-life care. Collaborating with Rodney and Colleen Yee, Mary Taylor, Susan Bauer-Wu, the training was intensive and in the wonderful setting of Donna Karan's Stephen Weiss Studio. She and Sensei Beate then went to Garrison and taught in the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute. This summer's program focused on agency, causation and the self. Both felt very enriched by the exceptional presentations on neuroscience and philosophy and were moved by the depth of the field of practice during the daylong of meditation, led by Roshi and Sharon Salzberg, and the daily practice led by Sharon, Sensei and Roshi. Clearly the work in neuroscience not only on the neural substrates of various meditation processes and health benefits, but also the neurophenomology of spontaneous thought, the sense of self-agency, modes of self-regulation and self-reference. Faculty included Richard Davidson, Evan Thompson, Kalina Christoff, John Dunne, Shaun Gallagher, Adam Anderson, David Creswell and many other exceptional scientists and philosophers. Fortunately, Upaya has quite a few programs in neuroscience in the coming year, including yoga and neuroscience with Freeman, Halifax, Riley, and Dan Siegel's program with Roshi and Goldberg on the neuroscience of relationality. See Upaya's program calendar

DVDs• The Upaya bookstore has a number of Roshi's dharma talks on DVD. Please call the front office for titles and ordering, 505-986-8518, or email upaya@upaya.org

•The Chinese filmmaker Kam Sung has made a fascinating and visually poetic account of Roshi Joan in Tibet. A high-resolution version on DVD is now available from Upaya. Email at upaya@upaya.org or call 505-986-8518 to order.

• Meditation Instruction at Upaya: June None, July 5, August 2, September 20, October 4, November 22, December 13. Please join us in the Upaya Zendo at 11:00 am to learn our practice.

• Metta Refuge Council: Starting this Tuesday, April 14, 2009, our weekly council group will begin at 9:45 am and last until 12:05 pm at Upaya House. When there is a change of location, you will be notified. For any questions, please contact Susan Benjamin at 505-982-9261 or email arttherapy@aol.com. For details: http://www.upaya.org/action/caring.php

Join us in the garden! Upaya is doing its spring planting season. We welcome volunteer gardeners and donations of vegetable and herb seeds and sprouts. Contact Rakushin, shakti@upaya.org

The Upaya Bookstore continues its sale! Many items will be 50% off. Please visit the River House at Upaya or contact Gerald Virtbauer at upaya@upaya.org for more information.

2010 Retreat Schedule: Upaya has already much of 2010 planned with exceptional retreats and teachers. As we have grown in renown over the past years, we advise early registration so you have the chance to reserve a room. Programs include such teachers and scholars as Matthieu Ricard, Richard Davidson, Amishi Jha, John Dunne, Al Kaszniak, Roshi Joan, Lynne Twist, Sensei Beate, Roshi Enkyo, Kaz Tanahashi, and many others. Contact Roberta for details about our upcoming programs. registrar@upaya.org

Jul 10, 2009 — Jul 12, 2009: Exploring Compassion and Fearlessness at the End of Life

All meditation must begin with arousing deep compassion. Whatever one does must emerge from an attitude of love and benefitting others. - Milarepa

Frank Ostaseski * Roshi Joan Halifax with special participation by Ann Marie McKelvey, LPCC, MCC (PCC)10 CEUs for this program Click here to register on-line This retreat is for professional and family caregivers, those with life-threatening illness and those wishing to explore approaches to end-of-life care and issues related to dying and death.

Richard Freeman * Roshi Joan Halifax * David Riley, MD Click here to register on-line This retreat is an immersion into the practice and science of asana practice, and an exploration of current neuroscience research on yoga. It includes teachings on anatomy and Buddhist and Hindu philosophy. It is an exceptional time to practice yoga with renowned teacher Richard Freeman, hear about scientific perspectives on yoga Dr. David Riley, and explore with Roshi Joan perspective on Buddhism and yoga.

DHARMA AUDIO PODCAST: ALAN WALLACE

ALAN WALLACE'S REMARKABLE TEACHINGS AT UPAYA THIS PAST MONTH ARE BEING POSTED AS PODCASTS.

View all problems as challenges. Look upon negativities that arise as opportunities to learn and to grow. Don't run from them, condemn yourself, or bury your burden in saintly silence. You have a problem? Great. More grist for the mill. Rejoice, dive in, and investigate. - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"

MINDFULNESS MUST BE ENGAGED: There are so many ways we can serve our communities. Please click for information on Upaya's service programs on caring for the sick and those in prison. Also come to the Refuge to work with the land. Here are pathways for you to engage in:

Metta Refuge Council: Tuesday, 9:45 a.m., a meeting for people who are ill, their caregivers, hospice volunteers, nurses, and those interested in exploring issues around sickness, aging and death. Beginning around 10:20 a.m. until 12:05 p.m. the group engages in contemplative writing as a way to explore what is present for people in the moment. No writing experience is needed. For more information, please contact Susan Benjamin at ArtTherapy@aol.com. For details: http://www.upaya.org/action/caring.php

Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge is open to those who wish to work on land restoration and live first person ecology. http://www.upaya.org/roshi/prajna.php A place of deep quiet and vastness.

The Upaya Prison Project serves prisons residents at Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center and the Penitentiary of New Mexico. New volunteers are starting training to work “inside”, teach stress management through meditation, simple yoga, and confidential conversation in a protected place. More volunteers are needed to teach life skills and social skills. If this interests you, email Ray Olson at nanrayols@aol.com.

Please help support our projects by making a donation to Upaya Zen Center for the Metta Program or Upaya Prison Project. We are deeply grateful for any donation.

JULY 31/AUG 1: HIROSHIMA COMMEMORATION

http://www.paxchristinewmexico.org/ Upaya will be joining with our friends from Pax Christi to commemorate Hiroshima Day in New Mexico this year (the 64th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan). We did this four years ago and it was quite a powerful experience for those of us who took part. Please mark your calendar for these two events:

UPAYA COMPASSIONATE ACTION NETWORK: UCAN!

Even offering three hundred bowls of food three times a day does not match the spiritual merit gained in one moment of love. - Nagarjuna

http://www.upaya.org/action/ucan.php It's a new month, and the Upaya Compassionate Action Network (UCAN!) is turning our attention to a new issue: Animal Rights. We've posted extensive background on this subject, from a Buddhist perspective, as well as suggested actions and resources. Thanks to Upaya resident and priest Rakushin who did much research and writing on animal rights for this month.

Sadly, the situation in Burma has not improved (our focus issue for April and May). We've archived the background and actions for Burma in the Discussion Board area of this page, and it remains on our page on the Upaya site: http://www.upaya.org/action/ucan.php

Please continue to remember Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma. Should another urgent action be recommended, we will keep you posted.

WAYS TO BE AT UPAYA

If you live the sacred and despise the ordinary, you are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion. - Zen Master Lin-Chi

There are many ways to be at Upaya... come for a personal retreat, volunteer your time, or apply for our Path of Service Program. Upaya is accepting applications for the Path of Service program, making it possible for you to live here from three months to a year. We especially are inviting gardeners and cooks at this season but all are welcome. Contact: yushin@upaya.org This is a wonderful way to give of your energy, learn, serve, practice, and be in a thriving sangha.

Enjoy and learn from the opportunity to receive teachings from Roshi Joan, Sensei Beate and many other extraordinary teachers; hear weekly seminars and dharma talks; attend dokusan and retreats, and experience the deep joy of living in community. Spring needs include people who love to cook and garden. Click here for more information: http://www.upaya.org/about/path-of-service.php

Personal Retreat/Guest Practitioner: Quiet, still, peaceful -- Upaya is a special place in the spring with intimate rooms, kiva fireplaces and breathtaking views. Spend some time here and find your own rhythm. To learn more about enjoying a peronal retreat at Upaya or coming as a guest practitioner, call 505-986-8518 X12 or visit: http://www.upaya.org/programs/being-at-upaya.php registrar@upaya.org

Volunteer at our front desk, kitchen, or in housekeeping. Our volunteer program is intended for people who wish to help Upaya in exchange for retreat participation; it is non-residential. A $10.00 hourly rate is credited for your work, and a maximum of 80% of the tuition may be earned and must be earned in advance of the event. Contact Roberta 505 986 8518, ext 12 or registrar@upaya.org

SUMMER SOLSTICE SPECIAL: JUNE 1 – JULY 7, 2009 Lodging discounted 30%

If you are in need of some distance and perspective from your every day life, replenish yourself in the radiance and tranquility of Upaya Zen Center for a wonderful summer discount. registrar@upaya.org Only two miles from Santa Fe’s historic plaza and half a mile from the galleries on Canyon Road, the Upaya campus is lifetimes away from the demands of city life. Guests can meander along the stone walkways through blossoming herb and flower gardens or explore the trails along the Santa Fe River and nearby foothills. Upaya's meditation schedule is also open to the public three times a day as well as our weekly Wednesday night dharma talk. Southwestern and Asian style rooms discounted to $46.00/dormitory, $63.00/double, $77/single per person per night . Ask about our meals (priced separately) served in our dining hall featuring delicious organic vegetarian dishes seven days a week.We hope you’ll take advantage of this pricing discount and experience the quiet and serenity of Upaya. Call 505-986-8518 X12 or email Registrar@upaya.org for availability.

What’s special about lodging at a Zen Center? We are a non-smoking campus, avoid the use of alcohol and appreciate fragrance-free products (many guests have sensitivities). Our guests enjoy the serene and peaceful beauty of our campus and so we encourage silence after 9pm until breakfast the next morning at 9am. Although we love animals, we ask that you please leave your furry friends at home. Thank you for your cooperation.

PRAJNA MOUNTAIN FOREST REFUGE

Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them. - Alan Watts

Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge is open to those who wish to do personal practice and for retreats and to learn about land stewarship. http://www.upaya.org/roshi/prajna.php A place of deep quiet and vastness. Wilderness Fast offered August 19-28, with Marty Peale and Laura Tyson; an intro by Roshi Joan.registrar@upaya.org• HERMIT'S RETREAT at almost any time of year (breakfast and light dinner provided; $20/day to camp, $30/day to stay indoors),

• FALL HARVEST AT PRAJNA Sept. 27 - Oct. 5th. For program details, please contact Refuge Coordinator Marty Peale (mpeale@newmexico.com). To register, contact Upaya (registrar@upaya.org).We are also very interested in hosting volunteers — “Friends of the Refuge” — in three categories:• Skilled workers we know (at no charge);• Skilled workers we haven’t met before (with references, one week at no charge);• Individuals who don’t necessarily consider themselves skilled but would like to help wherever they can (meals provided; trial period for new volunteers up to one week; $20/day to camp; $30/day to stay indoors).

UPAYA SITTING GROUPS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND ALBUQUERQUE!

After a few years of meditation practice we can even learn how to occasionally ignore ourselves. And what relief that can be! - Wes Nisker

UPAYA sitting group in San Francisco. Meets the first Thursday evening of every month. Includes a 40-minute sit and a brief council followed by a potluck meal. Contact thursdaysit@me.com Upaya sitting group in Albuquerque. Meets Monday 6:30 to 8:00 pm for zazen, kinhin and group discussion. Desert Mirror Zendo in ABQ galewsky@unm.edu; Morgan Davie in ABQ morgancd@gmail.com

UPAYA MEMBERSHIP OFFERING

Anything that is created must sooner or later die. Enlightenment is permanent because we have not produced it; we have merely discovered it. - Chogyam Trungpa

For less than the cost of an evening out, your monthly donation will make a real difference in sustaining Roshi's work, Sensei Beate's wonderful teachings, and Upaya's existence. sign up online. You can also become a member by calling Roberta Koska, Upaya's registrar at 505-986-8518 X12. As a way to show our appreciation for your support, members receive some wonderful benefits (including discounts on Upaya retreats). And if you sign up as a new member or renew your membership by September 1, you'll receive a CD of some of the best dharma talks from Upaya.

LAST WORDS..........

Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road

Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain was falling. Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village he noticed four or five pairs of sandals in the window and decided to buy some dry ones.

The woman who offered him the sandals, seeing how wet he was, invited him in to remain for the night at her home. Gudo accepted, thanking her. He entered and recited a sutra before the family shrine. He then was introduced to the woman’s mother, and to her children. Observing that the entire family was depressed, Gudo asked what was wrong.

“My husband is a gambler and a drunkard,” the housewife told him. “When he happens to win he drinks and becomes abusive. When he loses he borrows money from others. Sometimes when he becomes thoroughly drunk he does not come home at all. What can I do?”

I will help him,” said Gudo. “Here is some money. Get me a gallon of fine wine and something good to eat. Then you may retire. I will meditate before the shrine.”

When the man of the house returned about midnight, quite drunk, he bellowed: “Hey, wife, I am home. Have you something for me to eat?”

“I have something for you.” said Gudo. “I happened to get caught in the rain and your wife kindly asked me to remain here for the night. In return I have bought some wine and fish, so you might as well have them.”

The man was delighted. He drank the wine at once and laid himself down on the floor. Gudo sat in meditation beside him.

In the morning when the husband awoke he had forgotten about the previous night. “Who are you? Where do you come from?” he asked Gudo, who still was meditating.

“I am Gudo of Kyoto and I am going on to Edo,” replied the Zen master.

The man was utterly ashamed. He apologized profusely to the teacher of his emperor.

Gudo smiled. “Everything in this life is impermanent,” he explained. “Life is very brief. If you keep on gambling and drinking, you will have no time left to accomplish anything else, and you will cause your family to suffer too.”

The perception of the husband awoke as if from a dream. “You are right,” he declared. “How can I ever repay you for this wonderful teaching! Let me see you off and carry your things a little way.”

“If you wish,” assented Gudo.

The two started out. After they had gone three miles Gudo told him to return. “Just another five miles,” he begged Gudo. They continued on.

“You may return now,” suggested Gudo.

“After another ten miles,” the man replied.

“Return now,” said Gudo, when the ten miles had been passed.

“I am going to follow you all the rest of my life,” declared the man.

Modern Zen teachers in Japan spring from the lineage of a famous master who was the successor of Gudo. His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.

This story can be found in a book entitled Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, a translation of a 13th century work entitled Collection of Stone and Sand.

WAYS TO BE INVOLVED WITH UPAYA

Upaya Institute Website: http://www.beingwithdying.org This website is for those who are interested in the Professional Training Program on Contemplative End-of-Life Care; it contains articles, news, training programs, audio and video programs, and will be enriched with important materials over the next months.